Chicken Marbella is the iconic eighties dinner party dish with prunes, capers and green olives made famous by The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. Briny green olives and capers come together with sweet prunes (or dates) to make the most delicious combination of flavours.
Marinating the chicken overnight is essential to lock in the soft aromatics, but you could probably go for two nights here. Don’t skip this process. The texture of the chicken can alter when marinaded as I did with my recent . The flavours penetrate the chicken flesh adding so much to the overall dish and a jerk chicken is not the same without this stage.
I have wanted to make Chicken Marbella for the longest time and looked to three well-known food writers for my research. Ina Paarman made a rendition using a few of her own products and having tasted it know it was delicious.
I did, however, want to make it using scratch ingredients, so I looked to Ina Garten and Ottolenghi for inspiration too. They both use the equivalent of two chicken’s in their recipes (as per the original) but I wanted to make a smaller portion for two.
I love the Maryland cut of chicken where the thigh and leg are attached. Not only is it visually attractive, but dark chicken meat is the most delicious part of the bird.
When deciding between prunes or dates and I opted for dates which are a bit sweeter but with hindsight, I will probably go with prunes next time. Either will work well in this recipe.
I wanted a fair amount of cooking liquid to create adequate pan juices, so I played around with ratios that delivered this. I also used brown sugar and white wine as per the original recipe vs molasses as Ottloneghi did, or honey as Ina Paarman did. Ina Paarman slashed the chicken before marinating which I think makes a difference as I established with my recipe, so I have included the instruction here.
I opted to cook it at 180C(350F) for longer vs other recipes where it gets cooked at 200C (400F) for a shorter period. There was enough liquid in the pan to really take the chicken to almost fall off the bone consistency without drying it out.
This Chicken Marbella is set to impress so tuck it away in your arsenal for the next time you have friends or family over. Serve with rice, potatoes or crusty bread to mop up the juices.
*Cooks notes – A chicken butchered into 8 pieces would also work well in this recipe. Use the carcass to make chicken stock
The recipe Feeds 2 hungry people or 4
Chicken Marbella with dates, capers & green olives
A classic and succulent chicken Marbella recipe with dates (prunes), capers and green olives.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
4chicken legsdrumstick and thigh attached (Maryland cut), skin on ( up to 1kg )
3Tbspchopped fresh oregano
4bay leaves
3Tbspolive oil
3Tbspred wine vinegar
6prunes or datespitted and cut into quarters lengthways
2Tbscapers
2Tbspcaper brine
100gms pitted green olivesabout ¾ cup
1/2cupdry white wine
2Tbspbrown sugar
A few caperberries as garnishoptional & fresh oregano leaves
Instructions
Slash the chicken pieces in 3 places to the bone and place them in a large Ziploc bag with all the other ingredients except the olives, the wine, and sugar. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Massage the bag to ensure all the ingredients are mixed and the chicken is well coated. Place in the fridge overnight.
Take the chicken out of the fridge about an hour before you cook it to bring it to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
Arrange the chicken pieces snugly in an appropriately sized ovenproof dish with sides. Place the olives in and around the chicken pieces. Mix the brown sugar and white wine and mix to dissolve it as much as possible. Pour this over the chicken. Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. If necessary, loosely cover with a piece of foil to prevent over-browning.
Remove from the oven and arrange on a serving platter. Scatter over a few oregano leaves or caperberries as garnish (optional).
Chicken marbella is the briny, sweet, tangy baked chicken recipe from the famous Silver Palate Cookbook. It's a classic recipe originally designed to serve a crowd but we cut it down to serve a family. Capers, prunes, white wine, brown sugar, and olives pack this recipe with flavor!
First off, the chicken itself is always tender and juicy. But more than anything, it's in the unique Mediterranean flavor combination — a marinade of garlic and herbs, a savory-sweet wine gravy (which, I swear, is good enough to drink), and a mix of plump prunes, briny capers, and tangy green olives.
Mix and match the best Chicken Marbella side dishes and be the Ina Garten of your dinner party. Easy, healthy ideas that complement the famous Silver Palate recipe. From couscous and mashed potatoes to broccolini and sauteed carrots, you'll find complementary dishes that are special-occasion worthy.
If you'd like to enjoy a glass of wine with your chicken Marbella, try serving it with a fruity rosé such as Grenache/Garnacha or Sangiovese. A light-bodied red Grenache, Pinot Noir, or Beaujolais would pair well for reds, and if you prefer white wine, opt for an off-dry Riesling.
The best side dishes to serve with chicken marbella are jasmine rice, potato wedges, mushroom risotto, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans almondine, grilled beets, Israeli couscous, cucumber salad, roasted asparagus, tomato basil salad, grilled corn on the cob, buttered egg noodles, and roasted Brussels sprouts with ...
Despite the name, chicken Marbella is a creation from 1970s New York City while the name is actually a nod to the ingredients and the influence the Mediterranean country had on the dish's creator.
Marbella is home to some of the oldest buildings in the world, most of which are functional and still in use today. Warm weather, scenic views, and stunning beaches attract millions of tourists to the seaside town every year.
Today the poulet de Bresse has the reputation of being the best quality table chicken in the world. The chef Georges Blanc, who is from Bourg-en-Bresse, has been president of the Comité Interprofessionnel de la Volaille de Bresse, the association which oversees the product, since 1986.
Stuffed Mushrooms. A simple stuffed mushroom appetizer isn't too filling and signals good things to come. It's the perfect starter for an occasion where Chicken Marbella is the star. They have complementary flavors to the Mediterranean-inspired main dish.
The one meal Ina simply couldn't live without is roast chicken. She even cites it as one of the reasons her husband, Jeffrey, proposed marriage in 1968.
During an interview on Vice's "Munchies: The Podcast", Garten revealed that cilantro is actually one of her most hated foods. While she hates the flavor of cilantro, she also feels it steals too much of the spotlight.
Unlike our holidaying Prime Minister, chicken Marbella has little for which to thank the Costa del Sol, originating as it did on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In the late 1970s, Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso set up a gourmetfood store, the Silver Palate, which sold high-end fully prepared meals.
Pinot grigio, undoubtedly the most popular of the two, is lighter-bodied, crisp, clean, and vibrant with citrus flavors, according to Wine Spectator. Pinot gris, on the other hand, is sweet, and has spicy tropical fruit aromas. It generally has low acidity, higher alcohol levels, and a rich texture.
The best chicken marsala wine pairing is with lighter red wine types or a full-bodied white wine. Red wine examples include Malbec and Pinot Noir, and white wines include Riesling or Chardonnay. Chicken marsala is naturally savory and creamy, so your wine selection should be based on complementary flavors.
The characteristic yellow colour of the Coren Pollo de Coral free-range chicken comes from the daily intake of corn. The characteristic yellow colour of the Coren Pollo de Corral free-range chicken comes from the daily intake of corn. The chickens are bred in farms with at least 1 m2 of available space per bird.
Although components vary, certain materials are commonly used in meat and meat-free chicken products. These include water, wheat flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and other spices. The main difference is that plant-based chicken is usually made from soy protein and wheat gluten instead of animal flesh.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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